The Coalition says it would cut $4.5-billion from Australia's aid budget over four years to pay for infrastructure projects.
Aid organisations say in effect, for the sake of a few Australian roads, some of the world's poorest people will lose their lives.
The Coalition says the 4.5-billion dollars it would cut from aid would go towards building Melbourne's East West link, Sydney's WestConnex and the Brisbane Gateway Motorway upgrade.
World Vision Australia's Gath Luke says those infrastructure projects would cost of thousands of lives.
"We estimate that the 4.5-billion dollar cut over the next four years could save the lives of 450-thousand people. People say sometimes 'oh how do you know that? You know? Are you just making up those numbers?' But in fact the world's had a lot of experience over the last decade or two in providing essential services and we know that the average cost is around $2000 a year to prevent a death in the developing world."
For two years running the Labor government has deferred a bipartisan commitment to lift foreign aid spending to 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income by 2015/16.
Opposition leader Tony Abbott argues aid recipients wouldn't actually lose any money.
"We are not cutting foreign aid. We are just reducing the rate of increase. Under us foreign aid will increase at CPI, that's all, until such time as the Budget is back into a much stronger position. At the moment we are borrowing money from overseas to send it overseas as foreign aid. I don't think it makes sense. I think it makes a lot more sense to build our country here in Australia. That's why we will build the roads of the 21st century rather than shovel money abroad."
Aid organisations say they are in fact losing money they've been promised, and have in turn, promised their aid recipients.
Under the Coalition, the aid budget would grow from four-billion dollars this financial year to $4.2-billion in 2016/17.
That would take the aid budget to 0.3 per cent of Gross National Income - billions of dollars short of the 0.5 per cent promise Australia made in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
UNICEF Australia Chief Executive Norman Gillespe says the aid funding should be quarantined from budget cuts like it is in Britain.
"It's being plundered as an easy sort of cash piggy-bank but you know it does send a terrible signal to the world and it affects Australia's standing in the international community. If we - a relatively prosperous nation - cannot live up to those international commitments and obligations then that sends a signal to those who are in less good condition that well 'if they can't then we mustn't as well'. So it has a knock on effect."
Aid organisations are waiting for more details on what specific projects would be affected.
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop has indicated funding for United Nations agencies and bodies such as the African Development Bank could be reduced.
Oxfam Australia chief executive Helen Szoke says the decision to raid the aid budget to fund domestic projects is at odds with the generosity of the Australian public.
"Well it is ironic that the Australian community scores very highly on the international scale of giving. So the Australian population are very willing to put their hand in their pocket to help people overseas who are less advantaged than we are in the country and maybe that would suggest that both major parties are out of step with that sentiment in the Australian community."
The Labor government's decision to use aid money to fund its so-called Papua New Guinea solution to asylum seeker arrivals has seen Australia become the third largest recipient of its own aid.
CARE Australia spokesman Andrew Buchanan says he would like to see less aid money going towards keeping asylum seekers in detention.
"Foreign aid is there to support some of the poorest people in the world in some of the most challenging environments in the world. We want to see aid directed to where it has the greatest impact."
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